Women's Soccer | 8/19/2025 11:00:00 AM
TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - After claiming their second consecutive and ninth league title in team history last fall, the Grove City College women's soccer program was selected as the preseason favorite in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), according to the league's annual coaches' preseason poll. Voted on by the conference's 12 head coaches, this season's poll was revealed Tuesday, along with the PAC's Players to Watch List.
Grove City head coach Melissa Lamie, who has 371 victories in her 32 seasons at the helm of the program, and the Wolverines gathered eight first-place votes and 116 total points to claim the top ranking in the preseason poll.
Grove City, who is 17-0-3 in conference regular season matches the last two years, repeated as champions in 2024 for their ninth PAC crown, the most by any program in conference history. The Wolverines were the second seed in last year's tournament and after beating Allegheny College 6-2 in the semifinals, Grove City went on the road to win a 4-3 decision at No. 1 Westminster College in the title match. The championship season for the Wolverines ended with a loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Misericordia to complete the year with a 13-4-3 overall record.
Finishing second in the voting was six-time PAC champion Westminster College, led by 2024 PAC Coach of the Year Girish Thakar, who claimed three first-place votes and 105 points. Allegheny College narrowly secured third place with 96 points, one more than Saint Vincent College, who took fourth with 95 points. The final first-place vote went to Waynesburg University, who earned fifth with 76 points, while Franciscan University scored 71 points to take sixth.
Ranking seventh in the balloting was Chatham University with 56 points, followed by Washington & Jefferson College in eighth (55), Bethany College in ninth (40), Geneva College in 10th (39), Hiram College (32) and Thiel College (11).
This season's polling included Hiram, who joins the PAC in all sports this year after coming over from the North Coast Athletic Conference. A member of the PAC from 1971 through the spring of 1989, this will be the first season the Terriers will compete for a PAC women's soccer crown in their program history, as the conference's first year sponsoring the sport was in 1991, two years after Hiram departed.
This season’s Players to Watch list features a total of 24 All-PAC players from last year, with five First Team selections returning, as well as nine from the Second Team and 10 Honorable Mention players. Featured on the Players to Watch list is Westminster senior goalkeeper Morgan Murphy, the 2024 PAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Franciscan sophomore forward Eva Dexter, last season's PAC Newcomer of the Year.
Murphy's Defensive Player of the Award made it back-to-back years a Westminster player earned the honor after Sophia Galietta received the recognition in 2023. The Titans allowed just seven goals in 10 PAC regular season matches and Murphy posted three shutouts in conference action. Her top efforts in PAC matches came when she stopped eight shots in a shutout win over Waynesburg, as well as eight stops in a victory over Allegheny, which helped her post an .850 save percentage in PAC matches.
The award added to an already large collection for Murphy, who was the 2022 PAC Newcomer of the Year and is a three-time First Team All-PAC selection at keeper entering her senior campaign. Murphy, who owns a 36-13-2 record and a 1.00 goals-against average for her career, was also recognized with her second consecutive United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region award.
Also a First Team All-PAC selection a year ago, Dexter is the first Franciscan player to earn the PAC Newcomer of the Year award. Her 14 goals and 30 points were the most by any freshman in the conference and both numbers ranked fourth in the league. Twelve of her goals were in PAC matches, including hat tricks in a 3-0 win over Chatham and in a 9-0 victory over Thiel. Dexter also scored twice for the Barons in a narrow 4-3 loss to eventual champion Grove City.
In addition to her PAC honors, Dexter gathered ECAC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ECAC accolades.
The Players to Watch list is also highlighted by 28 members of the Fall 2024 PAC Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes on varsity sports teams who earned a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition.
The final PAC regular season matches are scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th. The six-team PAC Championship Tournament is slated to get underway Saturday, November 1st with quarterfinal contests and the 2025 PAC Championship match is slated for Saturday, November 8th.
| 2025 PAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2024 record (conference) |
| 1. Grove City College (8) |
116 |
13-4-3 (8-0-2 PAC) |
| 2. Westminster College (3) |
105 |
11-6-1 (9-0-1 PAC) |
| 3. Allegheny College |
96 |
12-7-1 (7-2-1 PAC) |
| 4. Saint Vincent College |
95 |
13-6-1 (6-4 PAC) |
| 5. Waynesburg University (1) |
76 |
8-5-4 (4-3-3 PAC) |
| 6. Franciscan University |
71 |
4-12-1 (3-6-1 PAC) |
| 7. Chatham University |
56 |
8-9-2 (3-5-2 PAC) |
| 8. Washington & Jefferson College |
55 |
5-11-2 (2-7-1 PAC) |
| 9. Bethany College |
40 |
8-7-3 (5-4-1 PAC) |
| 10. Geneva College |
39 |
3-13-1 (2-8 PAC) |
| 11. Hiram College |
32 |
3-14 (1-6 NCAC) |
| 12. Thiel College |
11 |
3-15 (0-10 PAC) |
2025 PAC Women's Soccer Players to Watch
1=2024 1st Team All-PAC / 2=2nd Team All-PAC / HM = Honorable Mention
| Allegheny College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Delaney David |
Jr. |
F |
Cleveland, Ohio/Brooklyn |
| Karley Johnson |
Jr. |
D |
Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville Community |
| Emma Milligan (HM) |
Sr. |
D |
Parkersburg, Pa./Octorara |
| Madeline Schneider (2) |
So. |
M |
Poolesville, Md./Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart |
| Katherine Surdykowski (1) |
Jr. |
M |
Chesterfield, N.J./Northern Burlington County Regional |
| Bethany College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Brionna Bash |
Jr. |
F |
Niles, Ohio/Niles McKinley |
| Monica Bird (2) |
Sr. |
F |
McKinnon, Antigua/St. Anthony's Secondary |
| Shunnye Christopher |
Sr. |
M |
Bathlodge, Antigua/Christ the King |
| Hope Fair (HM) |
Jr. |
GK |
Dunnville, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic |
| Jordan Palmer |
Jr. |
M |
East Liverpool, Ohio/Beaver Local |
| Chatham University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Halle Marsalis (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny |
| Ainsley Smith (2) |
Sr. |
F |
Washington, Pa./Bishop Canevin |
| Sarah Vescio (HM) |
So. |
D/M |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Seneca Valley |
| Franciscan University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Catherine DeWolf |
So. |
D |
Haymarket, Va./Seton |
| Eva Dexter (1) |
So. |
F |
Troy, Ohio/Lehman Catholic |
| Teaghan Elmore (HM) |
Sr. |
D |
Tostared, Sweden/Aranasgymnasiet |
| Abby Measor |
Sr. |
M |
Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny |
| Abigail Parker |
Sr. |
D |
Manitou Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs |
| Geneva College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Noelle Beare |
Jr. |
M |
Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield Christian |
| Abby Stover |
Jr. |
F |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Eden Christian Academy |
| Anna Ulmer |
Sr. |
D |
Milton, Pa./Northumberland Christian |
| Grove City College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Hannah Costa (2) |
Jr. |
D |
Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg Christian |
| Natalie Giunta |
Sr. |
M |
Penfield, N.Y./Penfield |
| Karly Keller (2) |
Sr. |
D |
New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area |
| Tori Stevenson (HM) |
Jr. |
F |
Butler, Pa./Butler |
| Hiram College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Reagan Mory |
Jr. |
F |
Garrettsville, Ohio/Crestwood |
| Bella Simmons (3rd Team All-NCAC) |
Jr. |
F/M |
Oberlin, Ohio/Firelands |
| Saint Vincent College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Cori Bieber |
Jr. |
D |
Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown |
| Jude Galvin (2) |
Sr. |
M |
Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin |
| Emma Koller (HM) |
Jr. |
F |
Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech |
| Rilyn Warner (HM) |
So. |
GK |
Granville, Ohio/Watkins Memorial |
| Thiel College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Imogen deBlois (2) |
So. |
F |
Hubbard, Ohio/Howland |
| Washington & Jefferson College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Audrey Chapman |
Sr. |
F |
Elkins Park, Pa./Phil-Mont Christian Academy |
| Dove Corrette-Bennett |
Jr. |
M |
New Castle, Pa./Neshannock |
| Maura Heberle |
Jr. |
F |
Hookstown, Pa./South Side Beaver |
| Kendall Obley |
Sr. |
M |
Buena Vista, Pa./McKeesport |
| Alexa Taylor |
So. |
F |
Aliquippa, Pa./OLSH |
| Waynesburg University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Lex Greenlief (2) |
Jr. |
GK |
Chester, W.Va./Oak Glen |
| Waverly Lorne (1) |
Jr. |
D |
New Providence, N.J./Governor Livingston |
| Reagan Mittendorf |
Sr. |
M |
Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton |
| Julz Mohrbacher (1) |
Jr. |
F |
Freedom, Pa./Freedom |
| Abby Ngugi (2) |
So. |
D |
Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson |
| Westminster College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Jocelyn Gratchic (HM) |
Jr. |
F |
Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville |
| Emma Maloberti (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley |
| Morgan Murphy (1) |
Sr. |
GK |
Yardley, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie |